Had a TDI Tuning on a 2011 V50 T5 for 5 years. Amazing performances and better mpg. I highly doubt it added 52hp as claimed but the car ran much smoother and perfs were real.
Hi, I have one of these on my 2012 Audi S5 and I find it fantastic been on for over a year now, real power gains you can feel 😷👍👌 would recommend TDI box
I've had a TDI tuning box in my MK5 Golf TDi 1.9 Manual for 6 months now, and simply put it does what it says - and it does it well. The torque was total night and day when I put it in, I genuinely could not believe it. I went from 11.8 ish seconds to 60 to 9 seconds flat (admittedly on GPS so that probably isn't exact but nearly 3 seconds there's no way it was just coincidence). Of course this varies car to car but I'd say with certainty you will notice a difference.
Best way is to get your passenger to change the settings without telling you when or what level, then asking for your opinion and thoughts. Basically it puts a resistance across the sensors tricking the ECU into making fueling/air adjustments.
The thing that I most like about your channel is that you don't dish out a load of bullshit. "Plug and play" is a perfectly reasonable summary here. Great content as usual 👍👍
I really appreciate your videos Jay - you have a slightly different take on things to many of the other car related channels. I was initially interested in your earlier Lotus-related content as I did some work experience at Hethel in my yoof (a long time ago and yes, it was mainly blokes drinking cups of tea back then), but I still find your content interesting and informative. Keep up the good work!
I've had a TDI tuning chip in my Merc A200 for the best part of a year and 13,000 miles, I've not had a single issue at all with it, if anything the engine seems to run smoother, it has a deeper sound to it, and my MGP has gone from 37 to 42 on average. It also went from 163 to 201 bhp and it's night and day to me, I couldn't recommended it more
@@grantswan8525 nope, 0-60 went from 8.0 to 6.9 seconds, big big difference, plus having driven a 224bhp A250 stock, it feels (almost) as powerful as that
@@Shaggy12321 ive done software development for a company that builds engines for heavy industry. diesel tuning boxes allow higher rail pressure but do not exceed manufacturers safety parameters, a few very high spec tuning boxes also have some control over boost but its marginal. I can promise you that the average 150bhp- 180bhp modern diesel engine will gain no more than 20bhp with the very best tuning box. do not believe the idiotic sakes hype and crazy figures that these tuning box companies advertise, its simply impossible.
i had a Audi Q3 2.0tdi 184 bhp dsg quattro and i fitted a tdi box and it did make a difference it definitely improved the fuel economy on a run it improved by on average 9 to 10 mpg and it felt smother through the dsg gears because of the increase in torq i would recommend the box apart from a small time period before a service i covered just over 45000 miles with the box fitted and i never had a problem. i was in the process of contacting tdi to get a change of leads until the recreant problems so i can fit it to my new car the little 3 pot turbo engine from Peugeot/Citroen/vauxhall i look forward to see what it does for the 1.2 130bhp motor the box is worth ago.
For a Plug & Play bit of Kit...... it's Great, i had 1x on 2x - SQ5'( Twin turbo V6 Diesel) Box re-tuned by them,for a SQ5 Plus....... Great for the Warranty as well, unplug & it's back to OEM.
Hi could you help I’m thinking of putting one on my Audi Q5 s line plus 190 bhp and I to have a warranty and I was worried about it being void with one of these fitted and is this Worth while doing?
My Dad has one on his 2015 Porsche Cayenne 3.0tdi. This was the only real option as to retain the warranty. He has had Remaps in the past on previous cars and the TDI Box is nowhere near as aggressive. The low down torque and power gains, ease of rolling off throttle and fuel economy have all been improved. After a year there has been no issues and has no regrets in fitting. All in all a very good product for what it is!
I've had a tuning box years ago in my first car. It was a diesel it had no top end just low end torque . Got it properly remapped not long after and it held the power much better top end
My 2016 Merc A220d AMG has the Brabus D2 tuning box. I only went for this as its Mercedes approved and does not effect the warranty. Ive done 100,000 miles now with the box and its been perfect. Average 64mpg over the 100k miles.
I have 3 of there boxes on 3 different new Audi's. Covered about 60,000 miles combined with them in 4 years. All the boxes work very well. They did make a big difference to the the cars I put them on. (all diesels). Lots of people on social media and forums all flame you for having a box. For me I needed to keep my warranty, so they are a good compromise between nothing and a full on Map. People do say its just a resistor to shove more fuel in, like a £9.99 item from Ebay. Have a new manual S3 now, but really can't justify £380 on the box, especially the way the world is atm. Perhaps they will send me one to test.................err that's a no then..............
I once bought a tune from ‘Superchips’ for my Audi A5. Went to their recommended partner to install. They blew my ECU and refused to fix it. ‘Superchips’ refused to help either. Was without the car for a few months and eventually had to get the car lifted and taken to Audi. About £1200 later I got my car back. Told Superchips to stick their tune and got my money back (for just the tune, not the ECU replacement cost). Stay clear of them, sure if it goes well then ok, but if it doesn’t, they will literally leave you stranded.
I understand that everyone has different experiences, maybe I've just been lucky however Superchips mapped my Audi S1 only 1 year after I bought it in 2015, took it to 295bhp which is whereabouts it still was until last week....with no issues....I've now got new Airtech Intercooler, Sachs Clutch and undergoing REVO stage 3 in 2 weeks time. Nothing bad to say about Superchips in my case
Am I alone in being a company car owner who swears by having a TDI running box fitted 😀 I have the same one you showed to my current company car,and had no problems,the earlier TDI boxes were a bit hit and miss (depending on what letter/ number) the box was on,and a separate earth wire. The latest one I have plugs into the fuel rail and the ECU. With it removed (for service, etc) it feels as though I have the handbrake on.
bryan hi Bryan, so you have never had anything flagged up by a dealer when cars been in? I know you would take it off prior to going in but no data they pull to show anomaly’s? Would you take it off even if you were going in for new tyres etc? Cheers
@@stevesanders4071 Never had any problems or issues at service time,and when having tyres ,they never open the bonnet and if they did its just another black plastic box in an already crowed engine bay.
bryan cheers for replying mate, I really want to get one, I just worry about it ever getting back and losing my job for a bit more poke but then find myself still on the verge of getting one.
I admit in the past I may have made a comment or two regarding your choices of shirt for these videos. So I'm delighted to see you wearing a SF Giants shirt today As a resident of that wonderful city and an Audi owner, I give this video all three thumbs up!!
That was a very interesting video for me as I’ve wondered about fitting one of these on my Transit Custom. I like the fact it can be removed and leave no trace as you mentioned. Another great video thank you 👍👍
My Saab 93 Z19DTH 150bhp was tuned at 57,000 miles to 223bhp with software only. I got 60,000 miles of hard-ish driving and then Pistonhead 3 smashed across and the engine ate itself.
I am currently shopping around for a tuning box for my C7 S6. I've been gathering as much info as I can right now, as it's the first time I've looked into these for a car. I've installed a couple Dynojet Power Commanders on my fuel injected motorcycles and those work in a similar manner.
I bought one. It works. The issue is the crappy harness covered in cheap plastic making it really difficult to install, not helped by the stiff 90 degree T joints. Sooooo bad. Doubt longevity of the harness will be great.
The Darkside tuning box review was most enlightening. A crying shame you didn’t manage a before/after dyno to prove/disprove any claims… Alternatively- get a proper remap & marvel at how much better it is than a tuning box
I use mine in 7 for fun, but 1 for long distances The fuel economy difference is night and day on my M2 Comp, and its still about 30hp more than stock. I did a 500 mile round trip with bits of spirited driving in it and managed 32.7 mpg average. I can't rate the TDI box enough. Oh and driving it with it in then of its like someone's took the turbos off the car.
I really suspect the ecu takes time to redjust after taking the box off, the effect of taking it off seems to make the car weaker than stock. When i dynod my car with a tuning box and did a run after removing it the 2nd run at full throttle produced higher horsepower and torque
I used a box on an F10 525d (3.0l straight 6) for 2 years. Worked perfectly across all modes. DPF did regen more frequently but aside from that it was fine. Increase in torque and mpg was significant, 10-15%) in considering doing the same to my M140. There’s a lot left in the B58 motor that a box or map can untap.
And right there that line the DPF Did regen more frequently says it all, its a fuel only tune meaning vastly increased soot, more soot means more regens more regens = more ash, more ash = blocked DPF because YOU CAN NOT but that shit out.....
The steering feel can be significantly improved on these cars (and I suspect many other Audi's with driver modes) by disabling 'straight line running' using VCDS. This feature automatically compensates for camber changes, cross winds, tramlining etc but in doing so takes away the interactivity in the steering and leaves it feeling numb. Quite why Audi have this enabled on their sporty cars is beyond me. You can also change the steering weight to be permanently in dynamic/auto/efficiency weightings depending on your preference with VCDS. I find full time dynamic in combination with the straight line running deactivation has transformed the car, especially as 'numb feeling' was always by far the biggest criticism the S1 has endured throughout it's life.
@@giovannigallo8429 Cheers. I put a guide on the S1 forum. It doesn't transform the steering to lotus levels of feedback of course but makes the car far more involving on a b-road.
Hi Jay, great video mate...and sorry if I boiled your balls over the original 'no active dampers' comment. They are quite subtle compared to my S3's magnetic ride dampers range. The Tdi box sounds great..might tell the wife her S1's feeling a bit slow.😁
I have tdi box on my bmw x5m sport 2011reg it is already about 245bhp but with tdi tuning box it is a lot more responsive, i tried more expensive and cheaper ones,but i found the tdi tunning box is the one to go for you can also get it upgraded to a higher just by giving them a call and downloading a upgrade tunning map.
I put a Steinbauer chip in my MAN 26.463 truck. Huge performance gain. At full load, 45t i could make it up a hill at 80kph when before i did it at 40. It destroyed the injector pump though. Stuffed the the rack solenoid. I took it back. It cost AUD$1500. Good but crap 😛
@@mannisasani I’ve since sold the A7 (I regret it!), but there was definitely more power on 7 and the MPG on 1 was fantastic. If I recall correctly, I got in the high 20’s on a highway trip. I have an SQ5 now and I may buy again.
Bloody want one of these - im 18 years old been lusting over these for the last few months. I see it as something different to the usual fiesta ST/Corsa VXR which some almost sleeper like styling. great vid cheers
Arjun Patel if you buy the one without the exterior Quattro styling pack it’s a proper stealthy car, 17” rims instead of 18s, smaller boot spoiler. Only the exhausts would give it away
@@stuartchristie654 17 rims are also better to find semi slick tires.. sidewall a bit higher for the shitty roads that we have here in Italy And even shorter gear ratios I'm going to swap my 280 gpunto Abarth for one of this after this pandemic period
@@stuartchristie654 yeah a bit unsure whether I would want to get close to a competition pack with the spoilers and coke bottles or have a really lowkey set up where it basically looks like an A1. Won't be for at least a year or 2 before I can even think about getting on mainly down to the insurance. Not sure if you have one but I think for me, a must have are the Bose speakers - is it worth seeking for a model with the speakers or are the Audi ones on the same level?
Arjun Patel Bose and the exterior styling was the only things I wanted on mine. Bought it for 27k as a demo with 700 miles on it. Bought it using pcp finance as I don’t plan to keep it long term. That’s why I didn’t mind it being a demo model. They were 34k new. It’s been perfect and the bose system is one of the better ones I have heard. The only pain with it is there are no usb inputs on the bloody thing
I have the ABT piggyback ecu on my S1 with uprated clutch. It was so much quicker but an uprated intercooler really made the difference. Had the car 5 years, 4 1/2 with the map on and never get tired of it. It pisses a lot of people off.
I just ordered one for my S40 1.6 16v Diesel R Design. I added the optional Bluetooth, to go from 109ps to 145ps is impressive if it turns out to be true but I want to leave it in stage 1 economy tune. I went with this instead of a remap because i know im going to replace the car soon. Reprogramming cost is HIGH in my opinion
Tuning boxes- never EVER as good as a bespoke remap. Generic plug-in- then fiddle with settings until the car cries enough & goes into limp mode. They only ever modify the OEM sensor readings so a somewhat crude way of doing things. WRT MPG readings- the frigging of said sensors will give a false reading. More power = less economy
Hi. Have you noticed if there is gasoline mixed with the oil engine?. Is usual in this tuning chips and very bad for the engine. I had a bad experience with thus issue several years ago.
Hi, I'm interested in one of these units , I imagine the answer to this question is yes but would like it clarifying by yourself or someone else please , can this be used if I have a 9-drive fitted ? I have one fitted which does actually improve throttle response, obviously does nothing regards to hp , but would the 9-drive and a TDi tune box be OK used together?
Hi guys, i want to get this tuning box for when my new car is delivered to me. Would you recommend i run the engine for about 1000 miles before putting a box on or can i put it on straight away?
Just a suggestion - for corrections (errata?) could you not make a comment on the original video and the pin it as the first comment? Not ideal but better than nothing.
Interesting video. S1 is a lovely runaround for fun, however the car in this video has very low spec.. also they sit a little too high in stock form.. I am sure chassis can handle extra power, however warranty is a concern..
running costs, gtr insurance + fuel economy is going to cost a lot more than the s1 wich only has a 2.0L 4 cyl. guessing the gtr was cool and fun but costs to much in the long run for a normal person
Is there an improvement to throttle response? My 2.0tdi auto is really laggy when pulling away to the point when sometimes you have to boot it a lot earlier than normal to enter a roundabout. I know it's a feature of a lot of Audi's unfortunately, probably over protecting the gearbox.
Have you looked at Racechip XLR or TDI's Pedalbox for the throttle pedal? I fitted one to our Kodi as it suffered from dangerous lag at roundabouts. Instantly cured, multiple sensitivity (gain) modes you can select... in S its responsive S+ positively sporty, etc!
So i went with the TDI for my g70 3.3t i put it in. Myself i mean immediately i felt the difference 21 miles before you change moods.. when i finally did i went strait sport and 7 I’m impressed with the torque got too get it Dino now stay tuned I’m also running a 60hp chip which i never remover so its all go go go for me
I had a tdi tuning box for my old Fabia VRS and my god did it let out a huge amount of black smoke once fitted. Safe to say after a few months it got a remap
Id be more interested in these boxes should have done a before and after dyno test - fitting a tuning box leave it open to auto suggestion your brain will fool you
Tdi tuning in 2019 offered there tuning box for the focus rs no hardware and power from 345 to 414 bhp. Mountune and other companies recommend no more than 400 bhp on stock internals , even at 400 needs downpipe, intake upgrade etc... Anyway tdi for 2020 have now detuned there box for the rs and now develops 395 bhp. Alot of people said they run aggressive tunes to get the highest bhp.
Yup I just watched a video where they dyno tested a newish Ausi S4 with 54,000 miles on the clock and it gave half the power output the tuning box maker claims
Wait a second here. You have had this device for many, many months and you haven't been able to do ANY testing on the fuel economy impact this device claims? This is horrible! And getting your gas milage numbers are so easy. This is HALF of what a review should be when the manufacturer claims a 20% improvement in that area of the performance of the device. Really. Unbelievable.
I also have my doubts about tuning boxes, and unfortunately this video has done noting to convince me otherwise which is kinda strange as I actually really respect the information that you share. I guess when it comes to remapping of a vehicles performance, I'm a bit of a 'badge snob', meaning I will only take my cars to companies like Litchfield, ABT, RennSport, Mountune etc. Yes they cost more, but you can't put a cost on peace of mind.
Most insurers only cover a 10% increase in performance so tell them or not i always wonder,oh and try telling your insurer the gained power figures without the cost of a Dyno i found it very difficult when i tried give my insurer the answear they wanted,so if you guess a figure your lying right and if you Dyno your car theres another cost on the price of the boxes?
My wife has an S1...bloody lovely little thing..sold My Porsche (Macan S) and bought an S3 for something similar. S3 is quicker than the S1 and the drive select if better (wider range of damper settings and an individual mode)...but it can't beat the S1 for fun.👍🏻
Because it was a long sighted road and I was making progress. James wasn’t driving the car and asked me to respect the road a little more after that drive by as he doesn’t want content on his channel showing a disregard for traffic laws
It's the same engine from golf r Mk7 and Audi S3 so 300 are not a problem with turbo swap. Even with stock turbo (even better response because it is smaller) but of course it will last less km (talking about the turbo) The only weak point is the clutch And it isn't even all that heavy.. not a lotus of course
@@LorenzoClara97 Concur. The reason I do not Supercharge my Elise is that it is going to exponentially wear out components. ...and I am not Kimi Raikkonen.
@@daveblock1688 you have the k engine version or Toyota engine? Both can hold a little bit of boost only with ticker gasket Finding a cheap Eaton supercharger is not hard, the boring and hard part is the ECU and map
I never get the pt of these. Buy an expensive car/bike then go completely off what the mfg has scripted for performance esp. now that mfg's offer performance packs with a full warranty. Performance you cannot use anywhere anyway.
I always laugh at these sponsored videos when the creator can't even be assed to put the companies link or info in the description box. Reduces traffic and effectivness for them
@@samuelgeorgejameswoods4795 …. Yes I’ve fitted it…. Tried it in all the 7 modes…. In sport, on 7, with a bit of right foot welly, there is a difference…. After service is very good
Jay I hope you will find time and make detailed video explaining why is UK having so horrible narrow roads surrounded by messy grass? I assume UK have funds to improve their roads to the level of other European countries (especially Germany), but there must be reason to keep all those roads more suited for horse carriages and not for 21st century modern cars.
They are rubbish, all they do is fool the ecu that when you request boost, that it doesnt see the correct boost, and the engine tries to deliver more. Well documented on Dyno's, they dont work.
Scott Brooks your talking shit !! Pretty sure you never had one. I just fitted one on my Volvo and you can feel the difference right away , What difference does it make whether it’s manipulates the ecu or not , The fact is that it’s sophisticated enough to work with the exact specification of your engine and does increase boost. I’m even surprised and impressed how good it is, so stop talking nonsense if you don’t know shit about these boxes
I assumed baby(but it's not 4 door) then insurance, but keeping the wife happy makes total sense. Should of traded the wife in for a, well, anything really. Why throw your life away for the pleasure of a silken purse. You drive a standard, so you obviously have hands!
John Rogers buying a larger house to progress on the property ladder is always a boring decision. I did 20,000 miles in the GTR but it was time. I would have another in the future
Thought it had a diesel swap at first when reading the title lol
TDi Tuning Petrol S1. Easy be confused on title alone. All good content.
Had a TDI Tuning on a 2011 V50 T5 for 5 years. Amazing performances and better mpg. I highly doubt it added 52hp as claimed but the car ran much smoother and perfs were real.
Hi, I have one of these on my 2012 Audi S5 and I find it fantastic been on for over a year now, real power gains you can feel 😷👍👌 would recommend TDI box
I've had a TDI tuning box in my MK5 Golf TDi 1.9 Manual for 6 months now, and simply put it does what it says - and it does it well. The torque was total night and day when I put it in, I genuinely could not believe it. I went from 11.8 ish seconds to 60 to 9 seconds flat (admittedly on GPS so that probably isn't exact but nearly 3 seconds there's no way it was just coincidence). Of course this varies car to car but I'd say with certainty you will notice a difference.
Really appreciate the constant output of quality content James. It’s helping to keep me sane during the lockdown and furlough.
Best way is to get your passenger to change the settings without telling you when or what level, then asking for your opinion and thoughts.
Basically it puts a resistance across the sensors tricking the ECU into making fueling/air adjustments.
The thing that I most like about your channel is that you don't dish out a load of bullshit. "Plug and play" is a perfectly reasonable summary here.
Great content as usual 👍👍
I really appreciate your videos Jay - you have a slightly different take on things to many of the other car related channels. I was initially interested in your earlier Lotus-related content as I did some work experience at Hethel in my yoof (a long time ago and yes, it was mainly blokes drinking cups of tea back then), but I still find your content interesting and informative. Keep up the good work!
It was the Lotus content that originally attracted me to this channel. Subscribed at that very moment. It is a great channel for genuine enthusiasts.
I've had a TDI tuning chip in my Merc A200 for the best part of a year and 13,000 miles, I've not had a single issue at all with it, if anything the engine seems to run smoother, it has a deeper sound to it, and my MGP has gone from 37 to 42 on average. It also went from 163 to 201 bhp and it's night and day to me, I couldn't recommended it more
I totally agree my box makes a huge improvement on my
skoda octiva tdi my box is from bluespark
163bhp to 201bhp with a tuning box... absolute nonsense.... stick it on a dyno and you will find you have gained 15bhp at most
@@grantswan8525 nope, 0-60 went from 8.0 to 6.9 seconds, big big difference, plus having driven a 224bhp A250 stock, it feels (almost) as powerful as that
@@grantswan8525 check out the Racechip TH-cam channel and you'll see how they compare stock to tuning chip on different cars,
@@Shaggy12321 ive done software development for a company that builds engines for heavy industry. diesel tuning boxes allow higher rail pressure but do not exceed manufacturers safety parameters, a few very high spec tuning boxes also have some control over boost but its marginal. I can promise you that the average 150bhp- 180bhp modern diesel engine will gain no more than 20bhp with the very best tuning box. do not believe the idiotic sakes hype and crazy figures that these tuning box companies advertise, its simply impossible.
Totally agree JayEmm. No issues with the TDI tuning box on my Hilux. 5 years/40k miles.
i had a Audi Q3 2.0tdi 184 bhp dsg quattro and i fitted a tdi box and it did make a difference it definitely improved the fuel economy on a run it improved by on average 9 to 10 mpg and it felt smother through the dsg gears because of the increase in torq i would recommend the box apart from a small time period before a service i covered just over 45000 miles with the box fitted and i never had a problem. i was in the process of contacting tdi to get a change of leads until the recreant problems so i can fit it to my new car the little 3 pot turbo engine from Peugeot/Citroen/vauxhall i look forward to see what it does for the 1.2 130bhp motor the box is worth ago.
For a Plug & Play bit of Kit...... it's Great, i had 1x on 2x - SQ5'( Twin turbo V6 Diesel) Box re-tuned by them,for a SQ5 Plus....... Great for the Warranty as well, unplug & it's back to OEM.
Hi could you help I’m thinking of putting one on my Audi Q5 s line plus 190 bhp and I to have a warranty and I was worried about it being void with one of these fitted and is this Worth while doing?
My Dad has one on his 2015 Porsche Cayenne 3.0tdi. This was the only real option as to retain the warranty. He has had Remaps in the past on previous cars and the TDI Box is nowhere near as aggressive. The low down torque and power gains, ease of rolling off throttle and fuel economy have all been improved. After a year there has been no issues and has no regrets in fitting. All in all a very good product for what it is!
I've had a tuning box years ago in my first car. It was a diesel it had no top end just low end torque . Got it properly remapped not long after and it held the power much better top end
My 2016 Merc A220d AMG has the Brabus D2 tuning box. I only went for this as its Mercedes approved and does not effect the warranty.
Ive done 100,000 miles now with the box and its been perfect. Average 64mpg over the 100k miles.
Where did you get the brabus d2 tuning box from?
@@seifyboy2832 My local dealership.
I have 3 of there boxes on 3 different new Audi's. Covered about 60,000 miles combined with them in 4 years. All the boxes work very well. They did make a big difference to the the cars I put them on. (all diesels). Lots of people on social media and forums all flame you for having a box. For me I needed to keep my warranty, so they are a good compromise between nothing and a full on Map. People do say its just a resistor to shove more fuel in, like a £9.99 item from Ebay. Have a new manual S3 now, but really can't justify £380 on the box, especially the way the world is atm. Perhaps they will send me one to test.................err that's a no then..............
I once bought a tune from ‘Superchips’ for my Audi A5. Went to their recommended partner to install. They blew my ECU and refused to fix it. ‘Superchips’ refused to help either. Was without the car for a few months and eventually had to get the car lifted and taken to Audi. About £1200 later I got my car back. Told Superchips to stick their tune and got my money back (for just the tune, not the ECU replacement cost). Stay clear of them, sure if it goes well then ok, but if it doesn’t, they will literally leave you stranded.
I understand that everyone has different experiences, maybe I've just been lucky however Superchips mapped my Audi S1 only 1 year after I bought it in 2015, took it to 295bhp which is whereabouts it still was until last week....with no issues....I've now got new Airtech Intercooler, Sachs Clutch and undergoing REVO stage 3 in 2 weeks time. Nothing bad to say about Superchips in my case
Am I alone in being a company car owner who swears by having a TDI running box fitted 😀
I have the same one you showed to my current company car,and had no problems,the earlier TDI boxes were a bit hit and miss (depending on what letter/ number) the box was on,and a separate earth wire.
The latest one I have plugs into the fuel rail and the ECU.
With it removed (for service, etc) it feels as though I have the handbrake on.
bryan hi Bryan, so you have never had anything flagged up by a dealer when cars been in? I know you would take it off prior to going in but no data they pull to show anomaly’s? Would you take it off even if you were going in for new tyres etc? Cheers
@@stevesanders4071
Never had any problems or issues at service time,and when having tyres ,they never open the bonnet and if they did its just another black plastic box in an already crowed engine bay.
bryan cheers for replying mate, I really want to get one, I just worry about it ever getting back and losing my job for a bit more poke but then find myself still on the verge of getting one.
bryan I know they claim they are untraceable but it’s only when I hear people saying they’ve had no issues that I’m more confident
I admit in the past I may have made a comment or two regarding your choices of shirt for these videos. So I'm delighted to see you wearing a SF Giants shirt today As a resident of that wonderful city and an Audi owner, I give this video all three thumbs up!!
had 3 of these over the years ,my latest one is on a Seat Altea 1,9 tdi ,,, feels like it has a rocket up its arse on setting 4
Nice straight to the point, honest review. Good info, cheers!
I had one on my m140i .massive improvement
That was a very interesting video for me as I’ve wondered about fitting one of these on my Transit Custom. I like the fact it can be removed and leave no trace as you mentioned. Another great video thank you 👍👍
My Saab 93 Z19DTH 150bhp was tuned at 57,000 miles to 223bhp with software only. I got 60,000 miles of hard-ish driving and then Pistonhead 3 smashed across and the engine ate itself.
How do we know that had anything to do with the software?
I am currently shopping around for a tuning box for my C7 S6. I've been gathering as much info as I can right now, as it's the first time I've looked into these for a car.
I've installed a couple Dynojet Power Commanders on my fuel injected motorcycles and those work in a similar manner.
I don't think you can rely on the Dash MPG gauge. The injector timing isn't what the ECU thinks it is, that's the entire purpose of the tuning box lol
I bought one. It works. The issue is the crappy harness covered in cheap plastic making it really difficult to install, not helped by the stiff 90 degree T joints. Sooooo bad. Doubt longevity of the harness will be great.
The Darkside tuning box review was most enlightening. A crying shame you didn’t manage a before/after dyno to prove/disprove any claims…
Alternatively- get a proper remap & marvel at how much better it is than a tuning box
I use mine in 7 for fun, but 1 for long distances
The fuel economy difference is night and day on my M2 Comp, and its still about 30hp more than stock.
I did a 500 mile round trip with bits of spirited driving in it and managed 32.7 mpg average.
I can't rate the TDI box enough.
Oh and driving it with it in then of its like someone's took the turbos off the car.
I really suspect the ecu takes time to redjust after taking the box off, the effect of taking it off seems to make the car weaker than stock. When i dynod my car with a tuning box and did a run after removing it the 2nd run at full throttle produced higher horsepower and torque
I used a box on an F10 525d (3.0l straight 6) for 2 years. Worked perfectly across all modes. DPF did regen more frequently but aside from that it was fine. Increase in torque and mpg was significant, 10-15%) in considering doing the same to my M140. There’s a lot left in the B58 motor that a box or map can untap.
And right there that line the DPF Did regen more frequently says it all, its a fuel only tune meaning vastly increased soot, more soot means more regens more regens = more ash, more ash = blocked DPF because YOU CAN NOT but that shit out.....
The steering feel can be significantly improved on these cars (and I suspect many other Audi's with driver modes) by disabling 'straight line running' using VCDS. This feature automatically compensates for camber changes, cross winds, tramlining etc but in doing so takes away the interactivity in the steering and leaves it feeling numb. Quite why Audi have this enabled on their sporty cars is beyond me.
You can also change the steering weight to be permanently in dynamic/auto/efficiency weightings depending on your preference with VCDS. I find full time dynamic in combination with the straight line running deactivation has transformed the car, especially as 'numb feeling' was always by far the biggest criticism the S1 has endured throughout it's life.
veefource thanks for the info I recall you mentioning that on Pistonheads. Just need to get VCDS...
@@giovannigallo8429 Cheers. I put a guide on the S1 forum. It doesn't transform the steering to lotus levels of feedback of course but makes the car far more involving on a b-road.
Such a great video idea! Thanks for this!
Hi Jay, great video mate...and sorry if I boiled your balls over the original 'no active dampers' comment. They are quite subtle compared to my S3's magnetic ride dampers range. The Tdi box sounds great..might tell the wife her S1's feeling a bit slow.😁
I have tdi box on my bmw x5m sport 2011reg it is already about 245bhp but with tdi tuning box it is a lot more responsive, i tried more expensive and cheaper ones,but i found the tdi tunning box is the one to go for you can also get it upgraded to a higher just by giving them a call and downloading a upgrade tunning map.
A fast Audi with a disconnected steering feel.....who’d have thought it 😂😂
To be fair the new BMWs aren’t great for feedback either sadly
I put a Steinbauer chip in my MAN 26.463 truck. Huge performance gain. At full load, 45t i could make it up a hill at 80kph when before i did it at 40. It destroyed the injector pump though. Stuffed the the rack solenoid. I took it back. It cost AUD$1500. Good but crap 😛
Racing Line and Burger Motorsport boxes only!
I'm in the US and I ordered one for my 2017 A7 3.0T (I'm old fart) and it arrives today!
How was the result?
@@mannisasani I’ve since sold the A7 (I regret it!), but there was definitely more power on 7 and the MPG on 1 was fantastic. If I recall correctly, I got in the high 20’s on a highway trip. I have an SQ5 now and I may buy again.
Personally have a Revo Stage 1 map on my S1 and it's been solid for the 18 months of ownership.
How's the clutch holding up?
Amazing shirt....and review
Bloody want one of these - im 18 years old been lusting over these for the last few months. I see it as something different to the usual fiesta ST/Corsa VXR which some almost sleeper like styling. great vid cheers
Arjun Patel if you buy the one without the exterior Quattro styling pack it’s a proper stealthy car, 17” rims instead of 18s, smaller boot spoiler. Only the exhausts would give it away
@@stuartchristie654 17 rims are also better to find semi slick tires.. sidewall a bit higher for the shitty roads that we have here in Italy
And even shorter gear ratios
I'm going to swap my 280 gpunto Abarth for one of this after this pandemic period
@@stuartchristie654 yeah a bit unsure whether I would want to get close to a competition pack with the spoilers and coke bottles or have a really lowkey set up where it basically looks like an A1. Won't be for at least a year or 2 before I can even think about getting on mainly down to the insurance. Not sure if you have one but I think for me, a must have are the Bose speakers - is it worth seeking for a model with the speakers or are the Audi ones on the same level?
Arjun Patel Bose and the exterior styling was the only things I wanted on mine. Bought it for 27k as a demo with 700 miles on it. Bought it using pcp finance as I don’t plan to keep it long term. That’s why I didn’t mind it being a demo model. They were 34k new. It’s been perfect and the bose system is one of the better ones I have heard. The only pain with it is there are no usb inputs on the bloody thing
they are a hell of alot more expensive than a ST or VXR
I have the ABT piggyback ecu on my S1 with uprated clutch. It was so much quicker but an uprated intercooler really made the difference. Had the car 5 years, 4 1/2 with the map on and never get tired of it. It pisses a lot of people off.
Where did you get the work done?
@@martingetliffe Richter Sport in Milton Keynes
@@ianwhiffen5412 thank you Ian.
I just ordered one for my S40 1.6 16v Diesel R Design. I added the optional Bluetooth, to go from 109ps to 145ps is impressive if it turns out to be true but I want to leave it in stage 1 economy tune. I went with this instead of a remap because i know im going to replace the car soon. Reprogramming cost is HIGH in my opinion
how has it been going/working? i have a s60 2.0l and was thinking about getting a box!
@@matthewhernandez9705 I ended up selling the car so I returned the device before I even tried it! Im glad to be rid of the car TBH
Everybody knows the Audi S1 is leagues above a GT-R...
James Davis is it when it comes to running cost
😂😂😂
Hmm. 45bhp increase for my new turbo Veloster. This is tempting.
Tuning boxes- never EVER as good as a bespoke remap. Generic plug-in- then fiddle with settings until the car cries enough & goes into limp mode. They only ever modify the OEM sensor readings so a somewhat crude way of doing things.
WRT MPG readings- the frigging of said sensors will give a false reading. More power = less economy
The boost hit you get initially makes it feel much stronger- but worth a proper RR before & after session to see the real story
Hi. Have you noticed if there is gasoline mixed with the oil engine?. Is usual in this tuning chips and very bad for the engine. I had a bad experience with thus issue several years ago.
Hi, I'm interested in one of these units , I imagine the answer to this question is yes but would like it clarifying by yourself or someone else please , can this be used if I have a 9-drive fitted ? I have one fitted which does actually improve throttle response, obviously does nothing regards to hp , but would the 9-drive and a TDi tune box be OK used together?
You will never have any issues with reliability with these boxes. Because they do bugger all ! They should be renamed ‘placebo boxes’
Why do you say this?
Everyone reports of mpg rise and performance; are they imagining this?
@@garlicnaan1 MrE is what's known as an ultracrepidarian.
@@Pupenhausen 😄
Would it make my Peugeot 106 diesel go faster than 60?
Would you recommend this tuning chip for a 1.4 Volkswagen jetta, or is jb4 tuner a safer route to go ?
Hi guys, i want to get this tuning box for when my new car is delivered to me. Would you recommend i run the engine for about 1000 miles before putting a box on or can i put it on straight away?
I believe it works no doubt but I think the power figures for my car are inflated.
And whats your car?
Yes exactly, I have AR Guilia super; biggest difference is torque in the midrange, comes on strong and at the right time
That must of been horrible downgrading to a Audi from one of the best cars in the world
Real music Real life it was gutting to be honest but the house I’m moving to once the covid situation settles more than makes up for it
Just a suggestion - for corrections (errata?) could you not make a comment on the original video and the pin it as the first comment? Not ideal but better than nothing.
I came here hoping it was an ECU tune on a TDI.
Interesting video. S1 is a lovely runaround for fun, however the car in this video has very low spec.. also they sit a little too high in stock form.. I am sure chassis can handle extra power, however warranty is a concern..
The car is only missing the interior styling pack and sunroof.
Same shirt 👌😂
Do you need to use premium petrol and oil with these ?
Don't need to do anything just whack one on ur car and away you go
Who trades a GTR for an Audi s1 Lolol ..
running costs, gtr insurance + fuel economy is going to cost a lot more than the s1 wich only has a 2.0L 4 cyl. guessing the gtr was cool and fun but costs to much in the long run for a normal person
Darkside dyno'd a couple of these and they turn out to be shite and give nowhere near the quoted improvements! Save your money...
Is there an improvement to throttle response? My 2.0tdi auto is really laggy when pulling away to the point when sometimes you have to boot it a lot earlier than normal to enter a roundabout. I know it's a feature of a lot of Audi's unfortunately, probably over protecting the gearbox.
No you would need a gearbox map
Have you looked at Racechip XLR or TDI's Pedalbox for the throttle pedal? I fitted one to our Kodi as it suffered from dangerous lag at roundabouts. Instantly cured, multiple sensitivity (gain) modes you can select... in S its responsive S+ positively sporty, etc!
@@Rookiereece incorrect, a pedal box will cure this
So i went with the TDI for my g70 3.3t i put it in. Myself i mean immediately i felt the difference 21 miles before you change moods.. when i finally did i went strait sport and 7 I’m impressed with the torque got too get it Dino now stay tuned I’m also running a 60hp chip which i never remover so its all go go go for me
I had a tdi tuning box for my old Fabia VRS and my god did it let out a huge amount of black smoke once fitted. Safe to say after a few months it got a remap
Id be more interested in these boxes should have done a before and after dyno test - fitting a tuning box leave it open to auto suggestion your brain will fool you
Shmee 150 workrate, good man!
Anyone expeirence any issues with VW main dealers with these?
Tdi tuning in 2019 offered there tuning box for the focus rs no hardware and power from 345 to 414 bhp.
Mountune and other companies recommend no more than 400 bhp on stock internals , even at 400 needs downpipe, intake upgrade etc...
Anyway tdi for 2020 have now detuned there box for the rs and now develops 395 bhp. Alot of people said they run aggressive tunes to get the highest bhp.
Put it on a Dyno, they never make the power!
Yup I just watched a video where they dyno tested a newish Ausi S4 with 54,000 miles on the clock and it gave half the power output the tuning box maker claims
There’s a dyno run on LLFs channel and he went from 730bhp to 804bhp.. so dunno about never making the power
@@j22_wys51 Just saw this video and now I'm considering it
@@mrhacker99999 link to the video?
@@mrhacker99999 link?
Wait a second here. You have had this device for many, many months and you haven't been able to do ANY testing on the fuel economy impact this device claims? This is horrible! And getting your gas milage numbers are so easy. This is HALF of what a review should be when the manufacturer claims a 20% improvement in that area of the performance of the device. Really. Unbelievable.
DTE hardware with a very good chance being a DTE tune. As DTE is the mothership in hardware to about 10 name brand "tuners" of piggybacks.
Do these boxes cause more pollution? Loads of black smoke pouring out the back when you put your foot down!
Diesels usually kick out a lot of black smoke, however petrol not really.
More power equals more pollution
You're one of those blokes you meet in work/down the pub that quickly reveals himself as an armchair expert on.. Well... Absolutely everything.
Just cars and movies mostly
Not reliable at all bought one stopped working in less than a week. Caused me no end of problems.
I’d love to see what one would do to an m140 🤷♂️🙌
Please tell me you are joking
So if you change car and take the box how much is a retune ?
Mike Hills about £150
I also have my doubts about tuning boxes, and unfortunately this video has done noting to convince me otherwise which is kinda strange as I actually really respect the information that you share. I guess when it comes to remapping of a vehicles performance, I'm a bit of a 'badge snob', meaning I will only take my cars to companies like Litchfield, ABT, RennSport, Mountune etc. Yes they cost more, but you can't put a cost on peace of mind.
And there's nothing wrong with that- you pays your money you takes your choice
Can these be used along with remapping if so what’s the results, won’t be testing it out on my BMW but if anyone has would love to know 😂
no
Most insurers only cover a 10% increase in performance so tell them or not i always wonder,oh and try telling your insurer the gained power figures without the cost of a Dyno i found it very difficult when i tried give my insurer the answear they wanted,so if you guess a figure your lying right and if you Dyno your car theres another cost on the price of the boxes?
Trading a GTR for an S1.........
Yep, owner commented on other comments why. And tbh I don’t blame Stu for doing so. 🤷🏼♂️
S1 is fast enough for the road and you don't have to re-mortgage your house for a set of tyres
My wife has an S1...bloody lovely little thing..sold My Porsche (Macan S) and bought an S3 for something similar. S3 is quicker than the S1 and the drive select if better (wider range of damper settings and an individual mode)...but it can't beat the S1 for fun.👍🏻
I can confirm that racechip was absolute horse shit on a Porsche Panamera
Why are you driving in the middle of the road at the beginning of the film?
Because he's the daddy alright
Because it was a long sighted road and I was making progress. James wasn’t driving the car and asked me to respect the road a little more after that drive by as he doesn’t want content on his channel showing a disregard for traffic laws
Just get a car with better power to weight. I'd never mess with my engine, no good can come from this.
It's the same engine from golf r Mk7 and Audi S3 so 300 are not a problem with turbo swap. Even with stock turbo (even better response because it is smaller) but of course it will last less km (talking about the turbo)
The only weak point is the clutch
And it isn't even all that heavy.. not a lotus of course
@@LorenzoClara97 Concur. The reason I do not Supercharge my Elise is that it is going to exponentially wear out components. ...and I am not Kimi Raikkonen.
@@daveblock1688 you have the k engine version or Toyota engine? Both can hold a little bit of boost only with ticker gasket
Finding a cheap Eaton supercharger is not hard, the boring and hard part is the ECU and map
I never get the pt of these. Buy an expensive car/bike then go completely off what the mfg has scripted for performance esp. now that mfg's offer performance packs with a full warranty. Performance you cannot use anywhere anyway.
I always laugh at these sponsored videos when the creator can't even be assed to put the companies link or info in the description box. Reduces traffic and effectivness for them
Who in the right mind trades in a r35 for an s1! Is that guy smoking crack?
Tax
Fuel
Power to weight ratio
Swap gtr for s1? Nah stopped watching at that point. Sounds more like a paid plug
Gtr for an S1 😶
Here goes then, I’ve just ordered one for my Golf GTI ...Flashsale20 for20% off
have you got it fitted yet
@@samuelgeorgejameswoods4795 …. Yes I’ve fitted it…. Tried it in all the 7 modes…. In sport, on 7, with a bit of right foot welly, there is a difference…. After service is very good
I have a MK 7 GTI, how's the box a year later? Much power gain?
Kind of misleading title because it seems to suggest that you have diesel engine when in fact thats just the name of the company
Haldex??👎
GTR for an S1 your poor mate 😭
Different circumstances I guess. What car do you drive ?
@@martingetliffe I said your not you’re
@@mofomo6209 What Car?
Jay I hope you will find time and make detailed video explaining why is UK having so horrible narrow roads surrounded by messy grass? I assume UK have funds to improve their roads to the level of other European countries (especially Germany), but there must be reason to keep all those roads more suited for horse carriages and not for 21st century modern cars.
Mac Arows😂 this is only the case for country lanes etc
Ok if you want engine to go pop 😬🔥
On a detuned engine lol,more like your clutch would go before the safe settings of these boxes.
Load of crap used by idiots.
If you feel a car needs a tuning box or a map you bought the wrong car.
It’s like buying a 1.8T Golf and “tuning” it, you should have got an R32.
Unfortunately BMW don't put a 6 cylinder diesel in the 1 or 2 series.....etc.
They are rubbish, all they do is fool the ecu that when you request boost, that it doesnt see the correct boost, and the engine tries to deliver more.
Well documented on Dyno's, they dont work.
Scott Brooks your talking shit !! Pretty sure you never had one. I just fitted one on my Volvo and you can feel the difference right away , What difference does it make whether it’s manipulates the ecu or not , The fact is that it’s sophisticated enough to work with the exact specification of your engine and does increase boost. I’m even surprised and impressed how good it is, so stop talking nonsense if you don’t know shit about these boxes
1 years and less than 20,000 kilometers it's long term?! lol
Generic maps just increase boost and fuel mapping in a very generic way
I assumed baby(but it's not 4 door) then insurance, but keeping the wife happy makes total sense. Should of traded the wife in for a, well, anything really. Why throw your life away for the pleasure of a silken purse. You drive a standard, so you obviously have hands!
John Rogers buying a larger house to progress on the property ladder is always a boring decision. I did 20,000 miles in the GTR but it was time. I would have another in the future