Integrated Engineering Stage 2 (High Torque) + DSG Tune
History: Prior to switching to the IE Tune, I had the Burger Motorsports JB4 w/ AFR Harness + intake + AWE Downpipe for about 2 years. The JB4 on map 2 (93 octane) provided a great increase in power along with good flexibility in the tune. However, I had a few issues. I occasionally had a CEL (fuel rail pressure) that would clear out after about 50 miles, which admittedly isn’t a big deal. The other issue was how the tune meshed with the DSG calibration.
I initially selected the JB4 based on qualms with the warranty. Every time I went to the dealership for service, I’d remove the JB4 and return the car back to stock. What I noticed was that the DSG calibration, though still imperfect, seemed much more usable with the car returned to stock. My thoughts on this are that the JB4 causes the car the produce more power at the same throttle position. Thus, the throttle doesn’t need to be as open to maintain the same acceleration. This causes the DSG calibration to shift earlier than it would otherwise, and basically makes the already fuel-efficiency tuned “D” unusable. S was already basically unusable anyways with the car going back and forth between gears incessantly and unnecessarily. I found myself using manual shifting almost every drive, and shifts were often rough with the DSG seeming confused and hesitant at times.
When I found out my dealership was mod-friendly, I decided I would get tuned. I figured if I was going to get a DSG tune, I might as well get the matching ECU tune (either way, the power train warranty would be mostly annulled). I also figured that an ECU tune has a handle on more parameters than the JB4 ever could and should have much greater potential. I decided to go with IE, based on reviews and ease of install. With IE, you can easily flash your car in your own driveway using their PowerLink cable. This process ended up being ridiculously easy.
Install: I opted for the Stage 2 High Torque ECU tune and the reciprocal DSG tune. Flashing the car was easy (and kind of fun). You download the IE Flash Wizard and simply plug the Power Link cable to the OBD II port and follow simple directions (that even I can understand!) The whole process took no longer than 15 minutes.
Driving: One word – smooooooooooth. Wow, it’s smoother than stock. I’ve heard the cliché, “this is how the car should have been from the factory”, but I have never quite felt it like this. In normal driving, it accelerates through gears with a sublime, silky smoothness and ease. D is usable again! It actually feels like a German car should, shifting exactly where you’d want it to. Bonus, S is usable too! It’s not pointlessly hanging out in the 4-5k RPM range when you don’t need it to be, and it’s no longer muddled about what gear it should be in. It feels like a normal S mode! The shifts are all so smooth and quick, you don’t even feel them. It’s glorious.
The car feels more powerful, in part due to increased throttle sensitivity. I find that I have to lighten the leg work a little.
In WOT, my butt dyno tells me there’s a noticeable increase in power. The car gets up to speed so quickly and smoothly now, I’m pretty sure speeding tickets are in my future…. You look away for a second and you’re above all US speed limits. With the JB4, I hit the 130mph governor quite a few times (on the track), so I’m looking forward to that being gone next time I get some track time. One thing to note in regards to heat management is that the oil temperature now remains significantly lower than stock, typically in the 180-190-degree range but never higher than 200. The stop-start function seems to be disabled most of the time for this reason. All-in-all, the car is now a track-worthy speed demon of silky smoothness!
TL;DR: DO IT!!!!
Thanks for reading.
(also Fleron230 on GolfMk6)
History: Prior to switching to the IE Tune, I had the Burger Motorsports JB4 w/ AFR Harness + intake + AWE Downpipe for about 2 years. The JB4 on map 2 (93 octane) provided a great increase in power along with good flexibility in the tune. However, I had a few issues. I occasionally had a CEL (fuel rail pressure) that would clear out after about 50 miles, which admittedly isn’t a big deal. The other issue was how the tune meshed with the DSG calibration.
I initially selected the JB4 based on qualms with the warranty. Every time I went to the dealership for service, I’d remove the JB4 and return the car back to stock. What I noticed was that the DSG calibration, though still imperfect, seemed much more usable with the car returned to stock. My thoughts on this are that the JB4 causes the car the produce more power at the same throttle position. Thus, the throttle doesn’t need to be as open to maintain the same acceleration. This causes the DSG calibration to shift earlier than it would otherwise, and basically makes the already fuel-efficiency tuned “D” unusable. S was already basically unusable anyways with the car going back and forth between gears incessantly and unnecessarily. I found myself using manual shifting almost every drive, and shifts were often rough with the DSG seeming confused and hesitant at times.
When I found out my dealership was mod-friendly, I decided I would get tuned. I figured if I was going to get a DSG tune, I might as well get the matching ECU tune (either way, the power train warranty would be mostly annulled). I also figured that an ECU tune has a handle on more parameters than the JB4 ever could and should have much greater potential. I decided to go with IE, based on reviews and ease of install. With IE, you can easily flash your car in your own driveway using their PowerLink cable. This process ended up being ridiculously easy.
Install: I opted for the Stage 2 High Torque ECU tune and the reciprocal DSG tune. Flashing the car was easy (and kind of fun). You download the IE Flash Wizard and simply plug the Power Link cable to the OBD II port and follow simple directions (that even I can understand!) The whole process took no longer than 15 minutes.
Driving: One word – smooooooooooth. Wow, it’s smoother than stock. I’ve heard the cliché, “this is how the car should have been from the factory”, but I have never quite felt it like this. In normal driving, it accelerates through gears with a sublime, silky smoothness and ease. D is usable again! It actually feels like a German car should, shifting exactly where you’d want it to. Bonus, S is usable too! It’s not pointlessly hanging out in the 4-5k RPM range when you don’t need it to be, and it’s no longer muddled about what gear it should be in. It feels like a normal S mode! The shifts are all so smooth and quick, you don’t even feel them. It’s glorious.
The car feels more powerful, in part due to increased throttle sensitivity. I find that I have to lighten the leg work a little.
In WOT, my butt dyno tells me there’s a noticeable increase in power. The car gets up to speed so quickly and smoothly now, I’m pretty sure speeding tickets are in my future…. You look away for a second and you’re above all US speed limits. With the JB4, I hit the 130mph governor quite a few times (on the track), so I’m looking forward to that being gone next time I get some track time. One thing to note in regards to heat management is that the oil temperature now remains significantly lower than stock, typically in the 180-190-degree range but never higher than 200. The stop-start function seems to be disabled most of the time for this reason. All-in-all, the car is now a track-worthy speed demon of silky smoothness!TL;DR: DO IT!!!!
Thanks for reading.
(also Fleron230 on GolfMk6)
